persed a cavalry force of the enemy; and, finding no intrenchments built, they returned northward to Newbern, having been absent three days.

On the 9th of September, three companies of the regiment were ordered to Washington, N.C., and five companies to Newport barracks; the two remaining companies having been left some time previously on outpost-duty at Batchelder's Creek. With the exception of these two companies, the regiment was recalled, Nov. 30, to join the expedition to Williamston and Hamilton.

This regiment also took part in the expedition to Goldsborough, N.C. It formed part of the brigade of the Third, Fourth, Fifth, Twenty-fifth, Twenty-seventh, and Forty-fifth Massachusetts Regiments. The brigade was under command of Col. Lee, of this regiment.

It left Newbern Dec. 11; its position being with the baggage train, in the rear. They encamped that night on the Trenton Road at eight o'clock, P.M. On the 12th, it marched through swamps, gradually growing worse, until ten o'clock. On the 13th, it continued its march, and, about noon, arrived within a few miles of Kinston, where the advance had met and driven back a body of the enemy, and encamped for the night. Here two days' rations and twenty rounds of ammunition were served out to each man. On the 14th, the Fifth Regiment having been left to guard the baggage, the brigade moved up the Kinston Road, and soon heard the firing from the front, the advance having met the enemy; and they soon became engaged in battle. The enemy retreated, and the Twenty-seventh encamped for the night in Kinston. On the 15th, they marched during the day, and encamped about eight o'clock at night. On the 16th, they were not fairly out of camp when firing was heard; and they soon found that the advance were engaged with the enemy at Whitehall. They were ordered immediately towards Goldsborough, and encamped at sundown eight miles below that place. On the 17th, they were early on the march, and, at eleven o'clock, came within sight of the Wilmington Railroad. The Twenty-seventh were moved forward in line, and behaved bravely through the day. After accomplishing the purpose of Gen. Foster, and having seen severe fighting, the regiment returned to Newbern.

The history of this regiment during the winter of 1863 is comparatively unimportant. On the 4th of January, it left camp on the south side of the Trent, near Newbern, and embarked for Washington, N.C., arriving Jan. 5.

THE TWENTY-SEVENTH AT BATCHELDER'S CREEK. 317

On the 27th, Companies G and H, under command of Major Bartholomew, were ordered to Plymouth, N.C., arriving there on the 28th, Major Bartholomew assuming command of the fort. These two companies remained at Plymouth until May 8, when they were ordered to Newbern. During this time, they performed efficient duty in scouting through the various counties bordering on Albemarle Sound. The post of Winfield, on the Chowan River, having been attacked, Company H, with three companies of the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts, was sent to its aid. The enemy having retreated, a pursuit was ordered. Company H, in the advance, had a fight with a portion of the Forty-second North-Carolina, losing two killed and one wounded; the enemy the same.

The duty at Washington was unmarked by any incidents of interest until the latter part of March, when, on the 30th, the pickets were driven in by the enemy, who had for several weeks threatened an attack. Gen. Foster, who was on a visit to Washington, took command of the garrison. Fire was opened on the fort April 3. The weather for the next twelve days was cold and stormy, and the rations of the troops insufficient; but the men behaved admirably, whether under fire, or in running the blockade to bring in supplies. The superior force of the rebels had enabled them to cut off re-enforcements and the means of subsistence; but when the steamer Escort" passed their batteries, having on board food and ammunition and the Fifth Rhode-Island, the enemy abandoned his design of starving out the garrison, raised the siege on the 16th, and retired to Kinston.

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On the 24th, the Twenty-seventh returned to Newbern. Three days later, through a drenching rain, it started for Batchelder's Creek. Next day, it suddenly came upon the enemy, and drove him from his works with the loss of forty men killed, wounded, and prisoners; the regiment losing but one man wounded. On the 30th, it returned to Newbern. On the 20th, the Twentyseventh left again in company with the Fifty-eighth Pennsylvania, endeavoring to gain the rear of the enemy at Gum Swamp. The troops marched the whole distance, fifteen miles, in about fourteen hours, as they were obliged to cut their way through a dense thicket and swamp. The expedition was completely successful. Companies D and I followed the opening fire on the enemy's rear with a gallant charge. One hundred and seventy prisoners, one piece of artillery, and several ammunition-wagons, were captured. The enemy, however, soon rallied, and pursued the Union forces to the fortifications near Newbern, where a skir

mish ensued, in which Col. Jones, the leader of the expedition, was killed.

From June until December, the Twenty-seventh served as provost-guard, supported cavalry on the Warsaw and Rocky-Mountain raids, joined Gen. Heckman's brigade at Newport News, and were on provost-duty at Norfolk and Portsmouth. Up to Dec. 22, two hundred men had re-enlisted as veteran volunteers. During this year, the regiment was commanded by Lieut.-Col. Wyman and Major Bartholomew.

Jan. 8, 1865, the regiment was ordered to proceed immediately to Newbern, and reached that place on the 11th. Six companies were then stationed at Rocky Run, under command of Lieut.-Col. Bartholomew; and the other four companies at Red House, under Capt. M'Kay.

Early in March, the regiment was brigaded with the Fifteenth Connecticut, to form the second brigade, second division, of the district of Beaufort, under the command of Col. Upham, and ordered to report to Gen. Cox at Cove Creek, where it arrived in the afternoon of March 4.

From this point, on the 6th, Gen. Cox's entire force effected a movement, the regiment leading the advance. The advance was extremely tedious, and by night it had only reached Gum Swamp, a distance of eight miles from Cove Creek.

March 7, the regiment marched from Gum Swamp to South-west Creek, where the enemy were found to be strongly intrenched on the opposite side of the creek; and had some skirmishing, but no casualties in the regiment. During the night, our skirmishers were advanced to within seventy-five yards of the creek, and rifle-pits thrown up.

The brigade to which the regiment was attached, numbering about one thousand men, was at this time about two miles in advance of any support.

On the morning of the 8th, information was received that the enemy were making a movement on the left; and the regiment was ordered to the left, forming a line at right angles with the Fifteenth Connecticut Volunteers. Skirmishers were immediately deployed, and discovered the enemy in the thick underbrush; they having, through the negligence of the cavalry vedette. completely outflanked our position, and formed directly in the rear of our original line. Immediately upon being discovered, they opened with a heavy fire of musketry, which was kept up on both sides for about a quarter of an hour, considerably reducing the strength of our command. At this time, by a well-directed charge, the enemy forced us back on to a line with the rest of our brigade, which immediately broke. We continued to fall back in good order for about one hundred yards more; when we discovered that we were entirely surrounded, and were obliged to surrender.

THE TWENTY-SEVENTH AT COLD HARBOR.

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The entire brigade actively engaged; with the exception of a few enlisted men who escaped after the regiments broke, were thus captured, after withstanding (as it was afterwards ascertained by officers captured at this time, — from Surgeon Mathus, Twenty-eighth Regiment Georgia Volunteers, A. M. D.) for nearly an hour the whole of Hoke's division, eight thousand strong. Our loss in the engagement was five officers wounded, seven enlisted men killed, and thirty-six enlisted men wounded.

Among the captured and most severely wounded was Lieut.-Col. W. G. Bartholomew, commanding the regiment.

From this date until the close of its term of enlistment, the regiment, reduced to a mere fragment, was employed chiefly on guard-duty. It however participated in the advance under Gen. Grant during the last week in May and first in June. In a forward movement on the enemy's works at Cold Harbor, June 3, the remaining fragment of the regiment, under command of Major William A. Walker, a faithful, competent, and brave officer, led the column. As they approached a rifle-pit in front of the works, the major was struck in the neck by a rifle-shot, and instantly killed. Capt. Wilcox, and several men of this regiment, fell in the same bloody encounter. These were the final disasters of this eminently working regiment, which was mustered out of service June 26, and, July 1, started for Readville, Mass., arriving there on the 7th, numbering only seven commissioned officers and a hundred and thirty-two enlisted men. On the 19th, the regiment was paid off and disbanded.

CHAPTER XVI.

TWENTY-EIGHTH AND TWENTY-NINTH REGIMENTS.

Antietam. In the Wilderness.

The Twenty-eighth an Irish Regiment. From Camp Cameron to Hilton Head. Before Petersburg. An Honorable History. The Twenty-ninth. Its varied Experience. - Vicksburg. Services in Virginia. — Returns to the Old Commonwealth.

THIS

THE TWENTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT.

HIS regiment was composed mainly of men of Irish birth. It left Camp Cameron Jan. 11, 1862, and proceeded to Fort Columbus, New-York Harbor; whence it sailed, Feb. 14, for Hilton Head, S.C.

Arriving at Hilton Head on the 23d, the Twenty-eighth remained there until the 7th of April, when it sailed for Fort Pulaski. After service at Jones, Bird, and Tybee Islands, it returned to Hilton Head May 23. Col. Montieth was placed under arrest by Gen. Hunter, and did not again take command, resigning in August following. The regiment sailed from Hilton Head in transports for James Island, under command of Lieut.-Col. Moore. After skirmishing, and a fruitless assault on Fort Johnson, it evacuated the island on the 6th of July, and returned to Hilton Head. On the 3d of August, it sailed northward to join the Army of the Potomac.

At Newport News, Lieut.-Col. Moore resigned, and Major Cartwright took command. Arrived at Acquia Creek, the regiment proceeded immediately to Fredericksburg, and joined the Potomac